lower room; room for political officials (Edo period)
Historical term for a room in Edo-period government buildings where lower-ranking officials worked or waited.
In Edo Castle, officials waiting in the lower room organized documents.
Compound of 下 (しも, 'lower') + の (possessive particle) + 部屋 (へや, 'room'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain; the term is conventionally associated with Edo-period administrative spaces.